Asia

I’ve been to many celebrations of the New Year around the world, including Paris and my home town, Sydney. Last year I celebrated New Year in Tokyo, Japan. Considered one of the great cities (or at least one that always makes the world clocks list in vintage newspaper offices), New Year takes on a different flavour in Tokyo to other places I’ve visited. As always, it’s a time for reflection and renewal.

The Holi festival is one of the most visibly beautiful festivals to photograph for any travel photographer. Holi, otherwise known as the festival of colour, is celebrated in March or April every year. One of my main reasons for visiting India at this time of year was to photograph the festival, with the aim of getting some very colourful portraits.

Kat: As part of our training for Everest Base Camp hike, we’ve started doing a major hike every second Saturday. Last weekend we hiked to Geumjeong Mountain, a popular hike in Busan that goes from Beomeosa Temple to Oncheonjang.

Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit. But for me, it’s also one of the must see destinations of the world, where peaceful park spaces intersect with one of the most technologically advanced cities. Thankfully, it’s easy to experience Tokyo without spending money except on food and transport. It’s a great city to wander and watch the individual styles of the local people.

Kat: We’ve encountered a number of Guinness World Record holders in Korea. We’ve been to the closest train station to a beach. Listened to Psy’s record-breaking YouTube video Gangnam Style (if you haven’t seen it yet, you must be living in the Antarctic). And now we’ve been to the world’s biggest department store. Shinsegae shopping mall.

Autumn in South Korea is one of the best times to visit. It’s not too hot or cold, and you’re treated to the most amazing display of colours. Over the past month I’ve visited two temples in the local region in order to shoot the autumn leaves. That’s fall for those of you who don’t speak proper English! It’s difficult to get a clear shot in Korea because of the high rise developments. There are apartment complexes even in the countryside. But temples provide a beautiful park space combined with oriental architecture.

Kat: On the weekend I visited Tongdosa Temple as another meetup with Ulsan photographers. I’ve been leaf chasing this season with the beautiful autumn colours (that’s fall, for you non-English speakers!). Temples offer a unique opportunity to photograph the seasonal changes next to oriental architecture. And it’s often difficult to get a clean landscape shot in Korea, because they’re often blocked by electrical wires, ugly apartment buildings and inconvenient town planning.

Kat: One of the greatest Korean inventions is the DIY table top BBQ. Imagine piles upon piles of beef delivered to your table with copious side servings of salad, garlic and chili sauce. That’s bulgogi. It’s my favourite Korean food, simple as it is. Mmmm… bulgogi, as Homer Simpson would say.